Lightsabers are one of the most iconic weapons in Star Wars, symbolising both power and battle, good and evil.
A lightsaber AU blade glows from the energy emanating from a Kyber crystal within its hilt, signifying whether its user is Jedi or Sith.
The blade
The blade of a lightsaber is its most crucial component, yet also one of its most challenging to master. It is because plasma, not light as its name implies, creates an arc wave with a gyroscopic effect that makes controlling this weapon challenging; training and practice are required since many people struggle with handling a weightless blade on their own.
Lightsaber hilts are often custom-built by their wielder to fit their needs, preferences and style. It is seen as a rite of passage for Force users and can range in complexity from simple cylindrical designs to intricate metal pieces.
Each saber has its distinctive colour and symbolism. For example, Jedi usually use blue lightsabers, while green ones symbolise positive qualities and growth. On the other hand, Red blades are exclusively used by Sith and Dark Siders.
This colour is caused by bleeding, in which the Sith or Dark Sider drains the kyber crystal of its energy. It’s never natural for a kyber crystal to turn red; this indicates that either party has corrupted your lightsaber’s blade.
The hilt of a lightsaber AU consists of several components, such as its power cell or energy core, focusing ring and blade emitter. The focusing ring aligns or controls the kyber crystal while the blade emitter creates its iconic blade.
The hilt is often custom-built to the user’s style and needs but can also be created from scratch. Some have even been crafted from salvaged parts.
The hilt
The hilt is part of a lightsaber that extends the blade and allows its user to control it. Hils come in various lengths, widths, and weights to accommodate different fighting styles; additionally, they may feature different shapes and colours.
The most common type of lightsaber hilt is cylindrical. However, some have curved designs, such as Yoda’s Lightsaber Shoto (which Yoda used to battle Lumiya) and Luke Skywalker’s Guard Shoto (which he constructed after his encounter with Lumiya).
Hilts come in various materials, such as metals, plastics and composites. In addition, most hilts feature accessories like emitters, pommel caps and activation plates for added functionality.
A kyber crystal is an integral component of the lightsaber AU hilt, serving as its primary energy source. To correctly produce this iconic blade, it must precisely align with its focusing ring. If not aligned perfectly, cracks may occur, or the lightsaber may explode when activated.
Once the kyber crystal has been installed, it’s time to construct the remainder of the hilt. It includes installing the power cell or energy core, focusing ring, and blade emitter.
To extend the blade, drivetrains in the hilt rotate rolled strips of lights. Each strip passes through a cap that keeps both sides together while pushing them past the head of the hilt and shaping them into an oval blade shape.
Some lightsaber hilts feature features that enable their users to connect two hilts to form what’s known as a double-bladed lightsaber, popularised by Darth Maul and certain other characters from Star Wars. One variation of this hilt is known as the “quick-release” coupler, which features an opening and closing mechanism with one motion.
The arc wave then travels towards the blade arc tip, radiating brightly in all directions. Depending on which crystal was used for construction, this arc wave can have a range of colours.
Blue is a lightsaber’s most commonly used colour, symbolising peace and unity. It can often be found in the hands of diplomatic Jedi like Yoda or Qui-Got Jinn, as well as Jedi who only draw their blade as a last resort.
Red is the colour of passion, bloodlust, power and danger – all traits the Sith embrace and will turn red when someone accepts their dark side.
Lightsabers can be challenging weapons to master, but if you can develop the habit of using them regularly, it will improve your performance in combat. Studies have demonstrated that Jedi or Sith who wear a lightsaber have an easier time making it through intense battles than those without one.